No space for freedom of expression in Pakistan. WordPress is being banned in Pakistan by PTA
Islamabad, Pakistan: WordPress banned in Pakistan due to security threats. On the name of National Security, PTA has directed all the ISPs of Pakistan to block a specific Blogging website “WordPress” in Pakistan. For those who aren’t aware of WordPress, I would juice it in one line that WordPress is the most used platform for blogging by millions of bloggers around the world and even small business also rely on this platform. the website “http://wordpress.com/” has been blocked in Pakistan on the name of national security issue.
According to sources, the ban has been imposed due to March 23 national parade in the capital of Pakistan as intelligence agencies believe that terrorists are using wordpress websites, twitter accounts and facebooks for conveying to each other as communication tools.
There are possibilities of banning twitter and facebook traffic for some hours on March 23.
We have also tried to contact PTA officials for their verdict on this issue but due to holiday and upcoming national holiday, none has responded back. All of this started from youtube and then PTA was on blocking spree for last few years and have almost blocked thousands of website including, entertainment portals, porn websites, gay rights websites. Even once PTA tried blocking IMDB in Pakistan but due to public reaction the decision was reverted.
The Government has no right to block such platforms which are considered to be incubating ground for small start-ups. Putting a ban on such platform will affect a lot of bloggers in Pakistan. Adding more into my statement I would like to inform the readers that we already have so much blocked content in Pakistan but one’s intellect should not be blocked as it violates our own constitutional right of “Freedom of Expression”
